Neil Armstrong made history on July 20, 1969, as the first person to walk on the moon. After his historic “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” Armstrong attended a gala dinner at the Hotel Warwick in Houston, where he was gifted an 18-karat gold Omega Speedmaster Professional watch.
More than 50 years later, this iconic timepiece has sold at auction for $2.1 million, including fees, according to RR Auction.
The watch, crafted from solid yellow gold, is one of the “Tribute to Astronauts” editions created to honor the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. Omega presented similar special-edition chronographs to notable figures like President Richard Nixon, Vice President Spiro Agnew, and over two dozen astronauts, including Armstrong.
Armstrong’s watch is engraved with his name, along with details of his space missions: Gemini 8 and Apollo 11. The back of the watch also features the inscription: “To mark man’s conquest of space with time, through time, on time.”
Armstrong, who passed away in 2012, wore the watch on special occasions. His son, Mark Armstrong, said in a statement, “The watch symbolizes one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of mankind.” A portion of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to charities Armstrong supported, including the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation of Wisconsin.
In addition to Armstrong’s watch, RR Auction also sold a gold Omega Speedmaster once owned by Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell for $142,664.
While these commemorative gold watches didn’t travel to space, many Omega Speedmasters did. In October 1962, astronaut Wally Schirra wore a Speedmaster during the Mercury Sigma 7 mission. Two years later, when NASA sought a watch for space missions, Omega was one of four companies whose watches were tested. After rigorous testing, including exposure to extreme temperatures and acceleration, the Speedmaster was the only model to pass.
In 1965, NASA officially approved the Speedmaster for all manned space missions, and the model earned the “Moonwatch” nickname. Since then, the Speedmaster has been worn on all six lunar landings. The stainless steel Speedmaster Armstrong wore on the moon is now housed at the National Air and Space Museum, after being donated by NASA in 1973.
“These guys depended on good engineering, a good watch, and a good spacecraft,” said Bobby Livingston, executive vice president at RR Auction, speaking to the Houston Chronicle.
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